Albion Rovers 1 Accies 1: Saturday, 4 November 2000

This game will probably be written about elsewhere as a moral victory for Rovers. While it's true that they nearly defeated Accies despite having a player sent off after a quarter of an hour, it's got to be said that they contributed very little to the football played.

This was a niggly game, with a very officious referee and a home team whose only intention was to frustrate Accies and prevent them from playing rather than trying to win the game.

Accies had Keith Hogg making his full debut in central defence in place of the injured skipper Chris Hillcoat, but were otherwise unchanged from the lineup which had been in such good form recently.

Accies got off to an excellent start with Stuart Callaghan causing huge problems down the left wing. He fired in a couple of superb crosses, one of which was narrowly missed by Michael Moore at the near post. After about 15 minutes, one of the frustrated Rovers players, Silvestro, was sent off for a two footed tackle on Callaghan. I'm not sure that the referee would have sent him off if it hadn't been for the melee which followed, with Ross Maclaren being booked for pushing one of the Rovers players.

Accies continued to dominate the half, with Michael Moore blazing over from a good position and the same player having a netbound shot superbly tipped over the bar by Rovers 'keeper Chris Fahey. So it was against the run of play that Rovers took the lead after 37 minutes. Stuart Callaghan was adjudged to have fouled a Rovers player, who went down like a sack of potatoes. Callaghan was booked, but I suspect that it was for dissent against the decision rather than the "foul". The Rovers sub McKenzie noticed that Ian Macfarlane was well out of position and curled a beauty past the stranded Accies keeper. The whole Rovers team went crazy, celebrating with manager John McVeigh but the referee stupidly booked the goalscorer for overdoing it.

Before the half time whistle, Paul Gaughan fired in a great shot which whistled past the post.

Into the second half and Accies continued their territorial domination of the game. Robert Prytz was pulling the strings and it was only rarely that Rovers ventured upfield. They did win a couple of corners but I can't remember any threat to Ian Macfarlane's goal.

It seemed destined to be one of those days when nothing would go right for Accies. Mark Nelson hit the post with the 'keeper beaten and had another effort over the bar. The 'keeper made another couple of good saves, the best one being from a near post header which was almost over the line before he tipped it over the bar. Substitute Alex Eadie almost grabbed an equaliser with a cross from the wing which looked in all the way until it clipped the bar and bounced to safety.

So it was with great relief that Mark Nelson finally scored with only 6 minutes left. A cross came in from the right wing and found its way to the back post where Nelson smacked it home with relish. Accies tried hard for a winner but it wasn't to be.

This was definitely a game where the better team drew (?). Accies were well ahead of Rovers from start to finish, but the packed Rovers defence kept them out. I don't think Rovers had any shots on goal, other than their excellent effort in the first half.

The referee went card crazy and I lost count of the players booked. Rovers had a second player dismissed near the end but it was too late for Accies to use the two extra men.

Stuart Callaghan, Ross Maclaren and Martin Bonnar were all booked for a variety of misdemeanours. Late in the game, a Rovers player made a blatant attempt to get Bonnar sent off with a ridiculously overacted bit of writhing but fortunately the referee wasn't taken in.

It's got to be said that the referee did Accies no favours in this game. On two occasions, Accies were denied good attacking positions because the referee halted play so that a Rovers player could have treatment. Neither of them were head injuries so this wasn't really necessary. Both times, a Rovers player was allowed to hack the ball upfield and the chance was lost. As one Accies fan said to me "What's wrong with a stoat-up?" Gary Clark was incensed that Rovers were allowed to clear their lines this way.

So another two points lost to our neighbours from Coatbridge. I would be more depressed if Accies had failed to create any chances, but that wasn't the case. It was just one of those days when an energetic home team successfully frustrated the favourites. On another day, Accies would have scored 4 or 5 against Rovers.

Accies: I MacFarlane, Nelson, Callaghan, Hogg, Gaughan, McLaren, Russell (Clark), Prytz (Eadie), Moore, D McFarlane, Bonnar. Subs: Potter, Vaugh, Martin

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